- quote - Empress Genshō. Genshō Tennō 元正天皇 Genshō-tennō
(683 – May 22, 748)
was the 44th monarch of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.
Genshō's reign spanned the years 715 through 724.

In the history of Japan, Genshō was the fifth of eight women to take on the role of empress regnant. The four female monarchs before Genshō were: (a) Suiko, (b) Kōgyoku, (c) Jitō and (d) Gemmei (Genmei). The three women sovereigns reigning after Genshō were (e) Kōken, (f) Meishō, and (g) Go-Sakuramachi.

Genshō was the only Japanese empress regnant to inherit her title from another empress regnant, her mother Genmei, rather than a male predecessor.

- - - Traditional narrative
Before her ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, her personal name (imina) was Hidaka-hime 氷高皇女 Hitaka no Hime Miko.
日本根子高瑞浄足姫天皇（やまとねこたまみずきよたらしひめのすめらみこと)

Genshō was an elder sister of Emperor Mommu and daughter of Prince Kusakabe 草壁皇子 and his wife 阿陪皇女（元明天皇） who later became Empress Gemmei. Therefore she was a granddaughter of Emperor Temmu and Empress Jitō by her father and a granddaughter of Emperor Tenji through her mother.

- - - Events of Genshō's life
Empress Gensho's succession to the throne was intended as a regency until Prince Obito 首（おびと）皇子, the son of her deceased younger brother Mommu, was mature enough to ascend the throne. Obito would later become the Emperor Shōmu 聖武天皇 Shomu Tenno.
Obito was appointed Crown Prince in 714 by Empress Gemmei. In the next year, 715, Empress Gemmei, then in her fifties, abdicated in favor of her daughter Gensho. Obito was then 14 years old.

-- 715 (Reiki 1, 9th month):
In the 7th year of Gemmei-tennō 's reign (元明天皇7年), the empress abdicated; and the succession (senso) was received by her daughter, who held the throne in trust for her younger brother. Shortly thereafter, Empress Genshō acceded to the throne (sokui) as Empress Regnant.

Obito remained the crown prince, heir to the new empress. Fujiwara no Fuhito, the most powerful courtier in Gemmei's court, remained at his post until his death in 720. After his death, Prince Nagaya, a grandson of Temmu and the Empress Gensho's cousin, seized power. This power shift was a background for later conflicts between Nagaya and Fuhito's four sons during the reign of Emperor Shōmu (Shomu) 聖武天皇 (formerly Prince Obito).

Under Gensho's reign, the Nihonshoki was finished in 720. This was the first Japanese history book. Organization of the law system known as the ritsuryo was continued under the initiatives of Fuhito until his death. These laws and codes were edited and enacted by Fujiwara no Nakamaro, a grandson of Fuhito, and published as Yoro ritsuryo under the name of Fuhito. The taxation system which had been introduced by Empress Jitō in the late 7th century began to malfunction. To compensate for the decreased tax revenue, the "Act of possession in three generations", an initiative of Prince Nagaya, was enacted in 723. Under this act, people were allowed to possess a newly cultivated field once every three generations. In the fourth generation, the right of possession would revert to the national government. This act was intended to motivate new cultivation, but it only remained in effect for about 20 years.

Empress Genshō reigned for nine years.
Although there were seven other reigning empresses, their successors were most often selected from amongst the males of the paternal Imperial bloodline, which is why some conservative scholars argue that the women's reigns were temporary and that male-only succession tradition must be maintained in the 21st century. Empress Gemmei, who was succeeded by her daughter, remains the sole exception to this conventional argument.

In 724, Gensho abdicated in favor of her nephew, who would be known as Emperor Shōmu. Genshō lived for 25 years after she stepped down from the throne. She never married and had no children. She died at age 65.

Empress Genshō's grave is located in Nara. misasagi 陵（みささぎ）
This empress is traditionally venerated at a memorial Shinto shrine (misasagi), also in Nara. The Imperial Household Agency has designated this location as Mommu's mausoleum, and has been formally named Nahoyama no nishi no misasagi. The Imperial tomb can be visited today in Narazaka-cho, Nara City.

- - - The years of Genshō's reign (717 - 729)
are more specifically identified by more than one era name or nengō period:

- quote - 707-15 - - Genmei Tennō of Japan 元明天皇
She lived (661-722).
also known as Gemmyo, she was daughter of Tenji Tennō (622-673-686) and succeeded her son Mommu as the 43rd imperial ruler. She proved an unusually able ruler. She coined the first copper money and caused scribes to write down the ancient traditions lest they be lost, and in 708 she moved the capital city of Japan from Fujiwara to Heijo-Kyo, thus giving the Nara period of Japanese history its name. Married to her first cousin and nephew, Kusakabe no miko, the son of Emperor Temmu of Japan and Empress Jito of Japan, she abdicated in favour of her daughter, Empress Gensho-Tennō. - source : www.guide2womenleaders.com -

Founded by 藤原宇合 Fujiwara no Umakai.
When Gyoki Bosatsu passed the area, he found seven large branches of a pine tree and carved seven statues of Yakushi Nyorai out of them 松の梢に七体の薬師如来. One of them is still preserved to our day.

Rurikoo-ji 瑠璃光寺 Ruriko-Ji - Rokugomanzan "六郷満山"in the Kunisaki Peninsula 国東半島, Oita PrefectureFutago-ji 両子寺 - Kunisaki Peninsula in Oita Prefecture
built in the second year of the Yoro period (718) by Ninmon-bosatsu, the incarnation of the deity Usa-hachiman.
In the Heian period, a unique religion mixing local gods and Buddhism developed in the Rokugomanzan Buddhist area and many temples were founded along the Kunisaki Peninsula. - source : nippon-kichi.jp -

There are three"Golden Halls"at Kofukuji, all of which take their names according to their location in the temple complex.
The original structure was built at the request of Emperor Shomu in 726 to speed the recovery of his aunt, the ailing Empress Gensho. The current building dates to 1415.
Enshrined within are Yakushi Nyorai (Bhaisajyaguru, the main alter piece, and an Important Cultural Property),

The temple has been founded by Gyoki Bosatsu in 718/719.
It has been revitalized by Kobo Daishi in 797 and is now a famous temple with a cherryblossom alley leading to the main entrance gate.
The main hall has been built in the Kamakura period and is the oldest hall in Wakasa.

The main statue of 十一面観世音菩薩 Juichimen Kannon Bosatsu is said to look like Gensho Tenno.
It has a special head with 24 faces ２４面 and 1000 arms carved from one piece of wood.
It has long been a secret statue for very long, but has now been restored and is shown to the public.